Coronavirus Update

mar 02, 2020

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

— 2 Timothy 1:7

Updated: Tue, May 26 @ 1:10p

Houston's First is staying up-to-date with the progress of COVID-19 around the world.

Like we do when hurricanes strike the Houston area, we are listening to what local and national authorities advise as we determine any necessary response as a church. Church leaders have also consulted with one of our deacons who is a physician specializing in public health and general preventive medicine to gain insight and wisdom from his expertise. Please read ahead for additional information about how our church is responding and what you can do to remain actively engaged with Houston's First.

Sunday's Message

On Sun, May 31, Pastor Gregg Matte shared that as the disciples trusted and waited for the promise of the Father, we too need to trust in God’s timing and His plan. Lean in to Him, and let Him speak directly to your heart. And in turn, go out into the world to share with others.

What WE Are Doing

JOINING IN-PERSON WORSHIP

In-person worship services will begin at each campus the weekend of May 30 & 31. The following modified schedule will be in place each week for the foreseeable future. See the Roadmap to Reunion page for more about our worship services.

Visit our Sunday Toolkit for tools to help you engage fully as we worship together each Sunday.

JOINING THE ONLINE SERVICE

Choose one of the following platforms for joining in as we worship together on Sundays at 9a, 11a, or 5p (Central).

Visit our Sunday Toolkit for tools to help you engage fully as we worship together each Sunday.

EVENT CHANGES

No in-person events involving more than 10 people will take place until further notice at any campus of Houston’s First. This includes Sunday worship services, Wednesday evening programming, regular weekly events, and all special events.

If a previously scheduled event will be made available for online participation, details about that will be provided as they are available on the event’s information page on our event calendar.

In terms of our summer events for children and students, visit the NextGen Summer Updates page for the latest news on VBS, summer camps, and more.

FACILITY HOURS

The Fitness & Recreation Center at The Loop Campus is closed until further notices.

CornerBooks at The Loop Campus is closed until further notice.

The Faith Center–Harwin is closed until further notice. For questions or opportunities to serve the Houston refugee community, please email Ana.Cowpersmith@HoustonsFirst.org.

First Baptist Academy's campus is closed through the end of the school year. The school is using distance learning instead.

MISSION TRIPS

Our Missions team is monitoring the global spread of the virus to see if the situation might impact any of our scheduled mission trips. They will follow guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of State and the International Mission Board (IMB).

ADDITIONAL STEPS

Beyond the action steps and decisions above, the church is taking the following steps in response to COVID-19:

Hand sanitizer. Wall-mounted or countertop supplies are available at every campus. According to the CDC, washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is one of the best precautions you can take to prevent the spread of the virus. When hand washing is not possible, alcohol-based hand sanitizers are a recommended alternative.

DTK Facility Services. Our contracted provider of cleaning and other facility services is equipped to assist us in response to COVID-19. Read the email they sent to their clients on Fri, Mar 6, here.

What YOU Can DO

Here are some things you can do to keep yourself and others safe, and to remain engaged with your Houston's First family:

BASIC PRECAUTIONS

The World Health Organization says to do these five simple things to help stop COVID-19.

HANDS: Wash them often

ELBOW: Cough or sneeze into it ("cough in the crook")

FACE: Don't touch it

FEET: Stay more than three feet apart

FEEL: Sick? Stay home.

WATCH ONLINE

Gather with Pastor Gregg and the Houston's First family online each Sunday at 9a, 11a, and 5p as we worship together. Visit our Sunday Toolkit for tools you'll need to fully engage each Sunday, such as Message Notes, a Worship Playlist, and more. Or, go directly to one of our online streaming options:

Our worship service is also available on the radio at 11a on KHCB 105.7FM in the Houston area.

GIVE

If you would like to worship by giving to the ministry of Houston's First online, we've provided easy and secure steps for giving online on our Online Giving page. You can also give by a mobile device by texting HFBCGIVE to 41411. If you prefer to give my check, you can mail your contribution to:

Houston's First Baptist Church7401 Katy FreewayHouston, TX 77024

BIBLE STUDY

Each week, Executive Pastor Dr. David Self prepares a lesson overview based on the curriculum used by many of our Life Bible Study teachers. The content of these overviews are available at HFBCBibleStudy.org — a website created originally by a volunteer church member as a service to our LBS leaders. You will find a written summary of the lesson, as well as an audio recording of each.

PRAYER

Please join with Pastor Gregg and our church as we pray for those who are impacted by or confronting the virus — patients, families, healthcare workers, authorities — and for God's protection over all of us. Download some COVID-19 Prayer Pointshere.

If you or a loved one have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak — illness, job loss, etc. — feel free to request prayer here from our dedicated team of staff members and volunteers.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Houston's First and Pastor Gregg launched Moment: A Daily Devotional at the end of 2019. Now, this fresh new tool for enhancing our daily moments with Jesus is available for reading online here.

TRAVEL IMPLICATIONS

As a precautionary measure, we ask that families or individuals who travel to a country or region labeled as a Level 2 or higher by the CDC as it relates to COVID-19 (find list here) please self-quarantine from Houston's First activities and facilities for the recommended 14 days before you and/or your children return to church. Thank you for taking into consideration the health and safety of our entire church family and our guests.

CDC Resources

The CDC is the primary source for information and updates on COVID-19. Here are just a few of the helpful links found on their website:

"FLATTENING THE CURVE"

The goal of protective measures such as consistent hand washing, travel restrictions, cancelling or postponing large public events, closing schools, and other such actions is to "flatten the curve" — extending the timeline by which the coronavirus spreads among the population. Doing so will keep the demand for healthcare services at a level our system is able to accommodate.

CORONAVIRUS, FLU, COLD OR ALLERGIES?

This graphic provided by the CDC can be a helpful tool for understanding symptoms you or loved ones might be experiencing. Remember — only a healthcare professional can give you an official diagnosis. We are posting this here only as a reference, not as a substitute for seeking medical attention.